Memory techniques

The art of true memory is the art of attention.
…………Samuel Johnson

Your brain never loses anything. Once it is put in your memory, it remains there for the rest of your life. What we call “forgetting” is either the inability to recall stored information or the failure to store information.

Memory techniques:

ORGANISE IT

Learn from the general to the specific.

Scan through the whole book and get an idea of the course content. Then start learning chapter by chapter or section by section.

Make it meaningful.

How much this mechanics course relates to your goal of becoming a mechanical engineer?
When the information helps you to get something you want, it is easier to remember that.

Create associations

Think of something related to the topic and create associations with it. This helps the memory process.

USE YOUR BODY

Learn it once, actively.

Involve your body the first time you learn something. Sit up, sit on the edge of your chair or walk while studying. Some believe that the brain works better in a standing position.

Relax

When we are relaxed ,we absorb new information quicker and recall it with greater accuracy.

Create pictures

Use diagrams and cartoons to connect facts and illustrate relationships.

Recite and repeat

When you recite something aloud, you anchor the information by hearing and by seeing. The combined result is synergetic. When you repeat something, you create a trail through the pathways of your brain, making the information easier to find

Write it down.

Writing a note to yourself helps you to remember an idea, even if you never look at the note again.

USE YOUR BRAIN

Reduce interference

Don’t sit near a TV or a refrigerator while studying. These may distract you.

Escape the short term memory gap.

A short review within minutes or hours of a study session can move material from the short term memory to the long term memory.

Distribute learning

Marathon study sessions are not very effective. You can get far more done in three one hour

sessions than in one three hour session. Change subject of study after one hour to a new subject.

Beware of attitudes

People who believe that math is difficult will have difficulty in remembering maths. We remember what we find interesting.

Use daylight for study

Study the most difficult subjects during day hours. The early morning hours can be more productive for most people.

Overlearn

Learn more than what is needed. Do the assigned problems and then do more problems.

Choose what not to store in memory

Decide what is essential to remember from a reading assignment or lecture .
Extract the core concepts. Then apply the memory techniques to those concepts .

Combine memory techniques

Choose two or three techniques to use on a particular assignment. Experiment for yourself with these techniques.

RECALL IT

Remember something else

When you are stuck up and can’t remember something you know you know, remember something else that is related to it. If you can’t remember your aunt’s name, then try to remember your great aunt’s name.

18. Notice when you do remember

Some people are best at remembering information they have read. Others remember best what they have seen, heard or done. Notice your style and follow it.